1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to archery and more particularly to an improved archery bow assembly.
2. Prior Art
One common type of archery bow arrow rest is a fixed horizontal ledge attached to the bow sidewall and jutting out into the window above the handle and arrow shelf. The rest may be of feathers, leather, plastic or the like and is adapted to support an arrow in the window from below. It presents a potential problem to the archer in that the arrow feathers or vanes, and even the shaft in some instances, may strike the rest as the arrow moves forward immediately after bowstring release. Such striking slows the arrow, wears and eventually damages the vanes and rest, causes arrow wobble and reduces shooting accuracy. As the vanes or feathers wear, they also cause the arrow to change its point of impact and reduce accuracy, a critical factor in target archery and also in hunting, where the hunter may only have a few real opportunities over a several day period to make a kill. Each arrow released must be accurate.
Striking of the rest can be avoided if the rest is made narrow enough and if the arrow shaft flexes or bends laterally enough upon release of the bowstring, thus following a pronounced S-curve, as may be the case when the fingers or a finger tab or glove are used in drawing and releasing the bowstring. However, when a mechanical bowstring release is used to draw and release the bowstring, such lateral flexing is diminished very noticeably. This is even more the case when a compound archery bow is shot with a mechanical bowstring release. Moreover, a narrow rest increases the likelihood of the arrow rolling off the rest during hunting before release of the bowstring, thus causing a wild shot.
Most arrow rests cannot be adjusted sufficiently to adapt them to various types of archery shooting, to arrows of different diameters and flex characteristics and to other variables. It would be desirable to be able to impart such adaptability to an arrow rest in a simple, inexpensive manner. Most arrow rests also are not adaptable for use on a wide variety of bows of different shapes, sizes and thicknesses. Therefore, it would also be highly desirable to be able to provide a rest which could easily be adjusted to fit perfectly bows of various shapes, thicknesses and dimensions, rather than requiring an inventory of various rest sizes.
Certain arrow rests employ a hinged wire component which is held magnetically in an arrow-supporting position and bridges the gap to the sidewall but which swings forward and closes when struck by the arrow vane or feather. If such a wire is jiggled, it can prematurely close, dropping the arrow to the shelf. While such rests reduce arrow wear and deflection, those effects are still noticeably present. Archery shooting requires extreme accuracy to hit distant mobile game and other targets. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to be able to provide an improved archery assembly which could assure complete clearance of the arrow shaft and vanes from the bow upon shooting the arrow and also positive holding of the arrow to prevent its inadvertent roll off or fall through the rest.
There is also a further factor to consider. Whether the bow is shot with the bow hand held open and a finger or wrist strap used, or with a closed bow hand, during drawing of the bow the bow hand and arm are placed under considerable tension. Any inadvertent contacting of the bow hand by the arrow rest, such as by a supporting bracket for the rest, etc. will inevitably cause substantial shooting inaccuracy to arise, as well as possible injury to the bow hand. Such as also the case if the contacting occurs during or slightly after release of the bowstring during shooting. Certain arrow rests are particuarly prone to this defect. Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide an arrow rest which features freedom from contact of the rest with the bow hand during shooting of the bow.
Rests which tend to shift or sag or otherwise change alignment during repeated use introduce shooting errors by changing the position of the arrow in the bow from shot to shot. Therefore, it would also be desirable to provide a rest which could provide a maximum of adjustability and still be capable of easily and rigidly holding its components in proper alignment during extended use of the bow.